Flexible bearing for screw conveyers



Oct. 27, 1931. F. B. CALDWELL FLEXIBLE BEARING FOR SCREW CONVEYERS Filed Sept. '7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l d a. 0/ rw m WMM M Z %M n m% Z Oct. 27, 1931. F. B. CALDWELL 1,829,392

FLEXIBLE BEARING FOR SCREW CONVEYERS Filed Sept. 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gll! 176 Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK 3'. CALDWELL, F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LINK-BELT COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS FLEXIBLE BEARING FOR SOREXV CONVEYERS Application filed September 7, 1926. Serial No. 133,792.

My invention relates to improvements in flexible bearings for screw conveyers. It has for one object to provide a new and improved type of flexible bearing wherein and whereby bearings may be interposed between successive screw conveyer flights, and by the use of which the successive flights may be coupled together and properly supported independent of slight misalignment of the-parts. Another object is toprovide a new and improved type of flexible member which may be used as a part of a flexibleshaft. Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the W specification and claims.

. section;

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically inj the accompanying drawings, whereina I Figure lis a side elevation with partsin Figure 2 is a detail section v p I Figure 3 isa section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bearing ball;

'Fi'gure5 is a side elevation of a stub shaft adapted to be associated with the bearing ball; i 1

Figure 6 is an end view of the shaft shown in Figure y I Figure 7 is a detail, part section in part elevationof a modified form; w Figure 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of ig' 'h' f Figure 9 is a detail part section part elevation of a further modified form;

' Figure 10 is a 0 F 9L Figure 11 is a section along the line 11-11 section along the line 1010 1 it is a bearing bracket A Arranged longitudinally of this trough are a series of hollow shafts A carrying conveyer flights sections A thereon, there being a conveyer flight between each adjacent pair of bearing brackets. A is a spherical bearing on the bearing is a. bearing ball B This bearing ball is flat tened on its opposite sides and has a spherical bearing surface B to engage the bearing A Extending across the flattened sides of the ball B at right angles to each other in parallel planes are segmental cylindrical pockets 3*, E the shape of these pockets being'such that the cylindrical lugs B on the opposed stub shafts fit snugly in the pockets, though free to'rock. These pockets are each rounded at one end about the body of the ball as at B and are open at the other end through the face of the ball and closed by a removable block B This block 13 is flanged at B to engage slots B in the ball so that the block may be slid into the face of the ball, closing the pocket B and holding the cylindrical lug B against lateral displacement.

These members B are held in place in the ball by holding screws B? which pass through the ball in the opposed sides and are screwed into the blocks B to hold them against withdrawal.

These blocks B and the holding screws are assembled after the two stub end shafts are put in place and the ball is finished and ground after they are assembled with the stub end shafts locked in place, thus providing a smooth continuous bearing surface on the outside of the ball. This is a satisfactory arrangement because when anything goes wrong with either one of the stub shafts or the ball, the whole assembly is taken out and replaced by a new one.

The fact that each stub end shaft is free to oscillate about the aizis of its cylindrical lug with respect to the ball results in a flexible arrangement giving a universal joint action, since the ball itself is free to. oscillate in its bearing, and thus misalignment of the shaft flights does not result in binding of the bearings or unduelwear.

I Obviously if a series of balls wit-haltert? axes, the sockets being closed-at eachiend to I nating stub shafts are used, a flexible shaft innersides of the l'ugsD preventing lateral is provided, there being free play between the separate sections of the shaft.

In the modified form shown in Figures 7 v and 8 the ball C is slottedwith rectangular slots (Bin its opposed flattened face these slots being ,-at "rightiangles. "The stub end shafts C C have" rectangular lugs C? C thereon to engage the slots C and are held Laplace by the pinsCJ whiclrextend through the body of the .ball and through the lugs permitting angular movement of the lugs C C with respectto the-ball, the ball being free to rotate or oscillateinthe,concave bearing C so as to give a flexible support forthe conveyer flight c themodified form shown in Figures .9 to; 13' theball D has on its opposed flattened faces, arranged "at right angles one to the other, cylin-dric'al' pockets V The ball in this case is centrally bored out as atD Each stub end shaft has a'plu-rality oflugs D D generally circular in cross section adapted to penetrate: the pockets D The holding head DT'havin-g atieither end a 'ball D? is slid in throlighthecentral aperture D7 in the stub end shaft after. the two stub endshafts are placed until itassumes theposition show-nin Fig-ure l Q; Then the-pin D is passed i; through theball and thehead D", holding it;

in place in the bal-l. The ball D engages the displacement of the lugs and stub shaft with respect to the ball D.

a I Although I have shown'an operative de vice, still it will be obvious that many changes might be made in size, shape and arrangement, of parts without departing materially from the spirit of my invention, and I wish,

1 It is obvious that while ing sis primarily. intended for and it is (le signed 'for use in-iconnectio'n with screw con:

j veyer flights, nevertheless such adevice is f equally well adapted where afiexible bearing c therefore, that my showing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic;

is desirable. For instance,lit might be used asa bearing for idler rolls for abelt conveyer or as part ofa transmission shaft system or in. any other arrangement where rs uchza devicecould conveniently be made use of, LTI-claim: I o I l, A flexiblebearing for conveyer flights and the :like comprising a, spherical bearing socket, aball mounted for oscillation and r0- tation therein, two cylindrical sockets in-the ball whose-axes are at right angles-to each other, and cylindrical bearingmembers in i said sockets freeftooscillate about the socket preventlateral displacement of the cylindrical members, the closure at one'endfof each socketbemg removable.-

.2. A flexible bearing for. conveyor flights i and the ilikecomprising a sphericalnbearing as flexible bear socket, a ball mounted for oscillation and rotation therein, two cylindricalsockets in the ball whose axes are at right angles to each other, and cylindrical bearing members in said socketsfree to oscillate about the socket axes, ,the sockets Ibeingelosedateach end to p e e e alp sp ement' ofl h i'l cal members, the closure at one end of each socket being removable, and comprising a block sli'd'abl'y mounted "the ball at rightangles to the axis of the iicylindrical socket, and means forpermanently holding the block inplacep- 3. The combination with a spherical bearingsocket'of a ball mounted for oscillation and;rotation therein, acylindrieal, socket in the'ballopen along one .-side, ,and one end, a-

cylindrical bearing -luglcontainedwithinithe socket,fsupporting means for, the li-i'g projectingthrough; the open 7 side of the eylindrical socket, and mejans foricl osing the open end of the cylindrical socket."

The combination in g socket ,of ball mounted foi: oscillation,

and-rotation therein, a -cylindrical; socket in theball open along .oneiside and one end, a.

cylindrical bearing lug-contained within the;

socket,- supporting means for thelug; project ing through the open side' of theeeylindrical;

5 thecylindrical socket, said me ans oo nprising,

socket, and means for closing the; open end fof a flanged block slidably mounte d- ,-inthe ball; at rightangles -to the axisof 'the eylindrical socket, and means for holding the block-in position in the ball;

-5'. The combination witha spirai conveyer flight having a centralhollow shaft;o f.a flex-;f bl e g erefo empr -si ig in-fi e spherical socket, a ball mounted for rotation therein having twionoplpose'd relativelykflat faces, cylindricalchannels .-openg-along;;one

side,'one in each flat ball face and at right; le o e to 3 h6"" ih 1?,":=SWbL-E ndf: ft mounted in the hollow conveyen shafts ghavj ing cylindrical members a't right angles; to the axes of the shafts -floeated one in each cylindrical" pocket, I each 1 said pockets being permanently' closed at one end, andfremovi able closures for the other; ends jof the-sockets, Y

the other-ends of the; sockets, 'theremovable e e empr nge plus e vtai 'd n he v ,6, The'coinbinatioirwitha spiral conveyor flight having a central hollow shaft of agfl'exible bearing therefor a comprising a. [fixed ball and slidable therein in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the channel, and means for holding the block in place.

7 The combination with a spiral conveyer flight having a central hollow shaft of a flexible bearing therefor comprising, a fixed spherical socket, a ball mounted for rotation therein having two opposed relatively flatfaces, cylindrical channels open along one side, one in each flat ball face and at right angles one to the other, stud end shafts mounted in the hollow conveyer shafts having cylindrical members at right angles to the axes of the shafts, located one in each cylindrical pocket, each said pockets being permanently closed at one end, and removable closures for the other ends of the sockets, the outside of the contour of the ball except in its flat faces being a substantially true sphere.

8. The combination with a spiral conveyer flight having a central hollow shaft of a flexible bearing therefor comprising a fixed spherical socket, a ball mounted for rotation therein having two opposed relatively flat faces, cylindrical channels open along one side, one in each flat ball face and at right angles one to the other, stub end shafts mounted in the hollow conveyer shafts having cylindrical members at right angles to the axes of the shafts, located one in each cylindrical pocket, each said pockets being permanently closed at one end, and removable closures for the other ends of the sockets, the

' removable closure comprising a block dove tailed in the ball and slidable therein in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the channel, means for holding the block in place, the outside of the contour of the ball except in its flat faces being a substantially true sphere.

Signed at Oak Park, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 26th day of August,

FRANK B. CALDWELL. 

